Winn is warming up (From Free Press Series)

Winn is warming up

ABERGAVENNY'S Julian Winn may be going to the Olympic Games in Athens next month, but he is not too big to help smaller events.

The 31-year-old was in a diluted entry that took part in the Welsh Criterium Championships at the University of Wales, Newport, campus in Caerleon on the weekend.

And he won the event in a sprint finish at the end of an hour of circling the campus' roads, plus five finishing laps of the 1km route.

Winn also confirmed that the knee injury which threatened his participation in next month's Olympics looks to be on the mend.

He spent almost a week in Lanzarote after suffering tendonitis when crashing into a high kerb on the Tour of Serbia earlier this month, and his games chances looked to be in trouble.

However, bronzed from his time away in the sun, Winn was in the lead group of three riders that made all the progress at Caerleon.

Afterwards he said: "I thought I felt a tweak at one point, but I'm fine."

And he said of his support for Welsh racing: "I like to ride races like this because, without people entering them, they will die."

As for his time away in the heat, the Olympian added: "Lanzarote was good and I had to rest until the Sunday because of my injury, but I had four days of training.

"It was good to be in a hot climate. I was going in the heat all day to make sure I got used to it before Athens."

The Welsh Criterium may have been low on his priority order, but it still meant another lot of miles in his legs prior to Athens.

Domestically, there was a battle of Abergavenny in the senior men's race.

Abergavenny RC's Steve Thomas took the crown from CC Abergavenny's Geraint Day in a sprint finish after 43 kilometres.

And Caroline Gay was dominant in the women's event by lapping everyone to win ahead of Rebecca Jones, of North Wales.

Results: ELITE men (one hour plus five finishing laps. 70 kms): 1. Julian Winn (Pinnarello RT) one hour six minutes, 2. Huw Bendall (Bynea CC) @ same time, 3. Jamie Norfolk (Giant Racing) @ same time, 4. Mark Perry (England) @ same time, 5. Hugo Hocknell (Climb on Bikes RT) @ same time. 6. John Hiddlestone (Bynea CC) @ 10 secs. 7. Mark Cooper (Track Cycling) @ 34 secs. 8. Richard Bowen @ same time. 9. Stephen Bonnici (Cwmcarn Paragons RC) @ 45 secs.

Men 2/3/4/Junior/Vets: 1. Stephen Thomas (Abergavenny RC), 2. Geraint Day (CC Abergavenny), 3. Stephen Edwards (Rhondda Cynon Taff. First veteran).

Senior women: 1. Caroline Gay (Ogmore Valley Wheelers), 2. Rebecca Jones (North Wales), 3. Elizabeth Goodband (Cardiff Ajax Junior).